Arhi FF:Mirage #2 Next thread link on Pg 151 - Page 51

He disconnected the call, plastering a vicious smirk on his face. All through the years, in this business, he had learnt one thing. Men like Arnav were indispensable to him.

Men who were driven by ambition, money and most of all,

Freedom.

Freedom, which they never gained and never would. Any veteran, in the world of crime knew it was futile to wish for a normal life, free from crime. One was bound to it from the time one stepped into it. Their fate was sealed permanently. The only way out was death, the end of all things.

He knew Arnav was destined to die a criminal. But Arnav never seemed to understand it. He was a fool who believed that he could escape this world and start a new life.

Which he would never let happen. He knew he could lure him with this trump card. Arnav would do anything for him in exchange of freedom and money and a better life. Even the dirty plans that he had hatched guaranteeing him enormous power over the underworld.

It didn't bother him if Arnav had to lose his life in the process. He was merely a pawn that he would control and pawns lives didn't matter. In a game of chess, the pawns had to be sacrificed for the greater good, for the King to win the game.

He would have been successful in luring Arnav, had it not been for Khushi Gupta. That girl had practically taken over his life. He had noticed how Arnav was never the same person like before. There was hesitation in his eyes. Something that wasn't present before.

And Guilt.

His task would never be completed if guilt reigned over his pawn. Arnav was one of those who never thought twice before killing a person. He never felt remorse coz somewhere he didn't have a heart to feel the emotions. He had been ruthless and cold hearted, thanks to his horrifying past. And best of all, he had no attachments.

He had no family. No one to love him. No one to answer to.

This made things easier for him. His enemy wouldn't have any chance to blackmail him. And thus, men like Arnav would be unstoppable in their tasks. But now, with Khushi in the picture, he knew the equations would change.

And they did.

If only, had Arnav listened to his advice, he wouldn't have to wrack his brain to this extent. And this was not acceptable to him. He had to put this relationship to an end at any cost. For his sake. For Arnav's sake and maybe even that girl's. There was no way he could convince that girl. She was too love struck to think rationally. Thus, he didn't have any other option. He knew that she hailed from a respectable family. It was evident by her behaviour and manners. And such a respectable family would never allow their daughter to be associated with a criminal.

His work was done now. He was sure that her Aunt would put an end to this immediately. Now he could have Arnav all to his task. Fully focused and dedicated.

He took the glass of Vodka placed on the counter of his private bar and sipped it, letting the hot liquid pour down his throat. An enormous feeling of achievement engulfed him, feeling himself one step more close to reigning the underworld. He would have continued to gloat in his dream world, if he hadn't been interrupted by a voice behind him.

"Malik."

"What is it?" he asked irritated, keeping his glass of vodka back on the counter.

"Your Wife's call." The other man said handing over the phone to him. He rolled his eyes in despise, taking the phone offered to him, cursing his luck.

"What is it?" he growled in anger.

"The police came to our house and arrested Zayed. They said he had crashed his car onto some pedestrians and now, they have charged him under drunk driving. Can you please arrange for his bail?" The woman on the other end responded back to him in a quivering voice.

"You good for nothing, mother and son have nothing else to do, do you? God alone knows what I did to receive such an ill fated life. Sometimes, I wonder whether he really is my son. Now stop crying woman. I'll arrange for his bail." And without waiting for her reply, he disconnected the call and quickly dialled another number.

"Hello! Zayed is in Bangkok jail. Get him out of there right now!" he blared and cut the call and took his liquor glass, gulping down the contents. The rage was rising in his body in an alarming manner and just when it reached its peak, he took hold of the glass and hauled it furiously across the other end of the room, shattering it into million pieces.

o0o

"I'm so going to be dead when Buaji comes to know that I was in Mumbai with you." Khushi panicked inside the car, not wanting to step outside from it. Arnav had arranged for a car to receive them when they had reached Delhi Airport in the evening.

"You know, if you are worrying so much, you needn't tell her. I won't tell her anyway. So why do you fear?" Arnav said pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Because I feel awful. I have lied so many times before. But not to this extent." She broke apart, her nervousness making her impossible to stay calm.

"Are you sure, you don't want me to accompany you?"

"I think I can manage alone." She said taking in a deep breath and opened the car door and stepped outside. Arnav helped her with the luggage bag. "Bye Khushi. Call me if you are in deep trouble with Buaji. I will be ready to manage the situation." He said placing a light peck on her cheek.

Khushi hurried towards the gate of her house. It was already past 7 in the evening and the darkness of the night had already engulfed her surroundings. Stepping inside the compound, she suddenly noticed that the house inside was as dark as the night outside.

"Oh Crap! Isn't Buaji at home?" she muttered to herself, wondering on the possibilities of where her aunt would be at this time of the night. She slowly walked forward towards the main door expecting for it to be locked. But to her utmost surprise, the door knob turned open allowing her inside the house. Immediately, her hand reflexively went towards the switch on her left to turn on the lights.

"Buaji?" she called out, noticing an eerie silence prevailing inside the room. Dropping her bag at the door, she went ahead to her Aunt's room, to verify if she was present at home.

"Buaji..." she called out once again, peeping inside her bedroom. There wasn't any trace of the elder lady. Disappointed and confused at her absence, she returned back to the living room, only to be stopped dead on her track as she discovered her Aunt's body lying the floor, partly hidden by the table beside her.

"Buaji!" she screamed out loudly as she rushed towards the floor, her mind ceasing to function properly. She shook the elder woman's hands frantically, resting her head on her lap. "Buaji! Can you hear me? Wake up!" she shrieked out in despair wondering what was wrong with her Aunt. Assuming that she had lost her consciousness, she ran to the dining table and returned back with the water jar to spray the water on her face. But it was futile. There was no response from her side.

As her attempts went in vain, she suddenly observed the pale and bluish colour on her Aunt's face and neck. Her hands were deathly cold.

And that was when Khushi realised what has and what was happening to her.

"NO!" she cried out in disbelief as her trembling fingers reached out to Buaji's chest, trying to assure herself that her heart was still beating.

But it wasn't. She lingered her hand over her aunt's chest for few more seconds, hoping that she had missed out the pulse and it wasn't what it seemed to be.

But still it wasn't there.

The panic that she had felt few minutes earlier was nothing compared to the panic that now engulfed her entire self. Instinctively, she felt her own heart pump faster, her breath getting heavier as sweat pooled under her arms. She sat staring at the lifeless body in front of her for a whole minute, her mind refusing to take the next course of action. Her whole body had gone numb with the shock and realisation that followed it.

She didn't know what to do. Who to call for help.

Arnav!

Yes, she must call him. He would know what was happening to her. Maybe this was all a nightmare. Maybe if she called him, he would come and tell her that everything was alright.

With shivering cold hands, Khushi managed to dial Arnav's number.

Arnav was on his way to his house, just a mile away from Khushi's house, when he suddenly noticed his cellphone buzzing. To his amusement, he noticed Khushi's name flashing on the screen.

"Ah! Looks like the damsel is in distress. So she needs my help afterall!" he smirked to himself, receiving the call. "So Khushi, I told you I would come along with you. But you didn't listen to me." He sighed loudly, trying to suppress his laughter.

"Arnav, come home fast." That was all she said. But her tone and her gasps were enough to alert Arnav that something was wrong. Really wrong.

"I'll be there in a few minutes." He assured her, his smirk instantly replaced by serious expression, as he turned around the car to go back home. All throughout those seven minutes that he took to reach her house, an uneasy grim feeling had gripped his mind. Khushi had never sounded like this before. And then, all scary thoughts flashed his mind at the possibilities of what could go wrong with her.

He didn't care whether he parked the car right or turned off the engine. All he knew what that Khushi needed him right at this minute. Nothing else mattered.

Arnav rushed towards the door, preparing himself to ring the door bell, when he noticed that it was already open. He carefully stepped inside, noticing her bag placed near the door. He looked all around the room, wondering if it was alright to call aloud Khushi's name. But then he thought about her Aunt's reaction if he were to randomly barge into their house and scream out for her niece.

And then he saw her.

She sat frozen on her spot, her hands frantically clutching at what appeared to be her Aunt lying on the floor. "Khushi, what happened?" he shot out as he rushed towards her side.

"Arnav... I.. don't know... what happened... Buaji..." she stammered in a soft voice, pointing at the body lying on the floor. He bent down and checked her pulse and realised there wasn't any. And he clearly knew why.

"We need to call the paramedics." He said quietly as he reached out for his cellphone.

o0o

Dr. Akash Singh Raizada walked towards the corridor where he was told Khushi was waiting for him. It was way past 9:00 pm now. He had been at his house, free for tonight from his hospital duties, when he had received a call from the hospital, informing him that one of his patients had arrived dead.

Death was something that shattered his spirits. He had been trained to try his best to save his patients till the very last breath. But he knew that death was inevitable. At the end, all he could do was just accept that there was nothing more he could do to save that person.

But when had asked the patient's name, he had felt the ground beneath his feet being swept away with those three words.

Mrs. Madumati Mishra.

Coz he clearly remembered who she was and especially remembered the niece of the deceased. Without wasting a minute, he had rushed to the hospital.

And now as he made his way to Khushi, to announce the cause of her Aunt's death by the initial observations made by him, he noticed her sitting in the waiting lounge. But then he noticed something more.

Her head was resting on a man's shoulder, the same man who had had his arms wrapped around her torso, pulling her closer to himself. His own face was buried into her hair, as he whispered inaudible consolations, calmly rocking her back and forth. He couldn't make out the man's face. But he indeed looked familiar to him. As he neared them, he observed a heart wrenching numbness and paleness spread over the entire of Khushi's face. Her eyes had disbelievingly sunk into the sockets, giving her face a ghostlike appearance.

Akash's heart ached to see her like this. He couldn't imagine the shock and pain she was going through right now. All he wanted to do now was pull her away from that man's arms and fiercely hug her, tell her that this was not the end. There was life beyond this too.

As he came and stopped in front of her, he noticed that she wasn't crying nor was there any emotion on her face. And this was worrying him.

"Khushi." He called out softly and it was then, that he saw the man lift his face and look at him. Those familiar eyes that he had known for the past few years stared into his. Those eyes of that same person who had once saved his life.

"Arnav?" he asked stunned at the revelation unfolding before him. He noticed how quickly those molten brown eyes darted away from his face towards the floor. As if he had been caught red handed.

"Akash," Khushi stood up suddenly, her eyes returning back to life, pleading for an explanation at what was happening to her.

"I'm sorry." He said looking at Khushi's face, mentally noting to confront Arnav about Khushi later. "Your Buaji suffered from a massive heart attack. The signs on her body show that she died few hours ago. And she was already dead when you discovered her state. So there was nothing you could do to save her." he said placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But Khushi, weren't you at home when this happened?"

"I wasn't in town." Khushi replied silently.

"Oh!" Akash exclaimed out to her reply.

"But how, all of a sudden?" Arnav asked, still unable to believe that Buaji was dead. "I mean, she was alright, wasn't she?"

"Khushi's Buaji had already had high cholesterol levels. And she was easily susceptible to anxiety attacks. Looks like something triggered that attack once again and this time it was too fatal for her body to handle." Akash replied back.

"Can I see her now?" Khushi asked in a soft voice.

"No. The body is sent for Autopsy. You can only collect it tomorrow morning for the final rituals. I'm sorry Khushi, but this is the standard procedure. Just go home for today." he patted her silently on the shoulder as she turned around and walked away, like a living corpse.

Arnav was about to follow her, when he was stopped by Akash's voice. "How long have the two of you been together?"

He didn't reply.

"Does she know everything about you?" Akash demanded with a firm tone, feeling instinctively protective about Khushi. As much as he considered Arnav as his friend, he knew what that man was capable of.

But he was still replied with silence. "Arnav!" he caught hold of his arm this time, as Arnav tried to walk away from him.

"Just because I owe you for saving my life thrice, doesn't mean I owe you any explanation." Arnav furiously growled before dusting of Akash's hand from his arm and strode towards Khushi, leaving him behind in disbelief.

CHAPTER 28

Note: I may not update tomorrow coz I won't be at home the whole day. So next update will be day after tomorrow.